Following Your Heart and Intuition
By Liz
I am an Empowered & Poised Female because I have the courage to follow my heart and intuition.
“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become.”
Six years ago, these words from Steve Jobs changed my life. I had built an existence that was based completely on the benchmarks taught to me by society, education, and family. Measured by those standards it was the life that I should have wanted. I had the house, husband, a stable career, and resources to have and do anything that I wanted. However, as is often the case when we don’t listen to our intuition, I was miserable. The home wasn’t the one that I had pictured myself in, my husband slept in a separate bedroom, that job that provided everything was tedious. I would sit night after night and wonder how I could be so unhappy when I had followed all the rules. I would tell myself I was ungrateful and selfish. I would spend my time searching for peace and answers in books, magazines, television, anything that would tell me how to be happy and satisfied. I wanted to feel joy again. Around this time, I heard Steve Jobs Stanford speech and I was inspired.
I had completely lost myself on the way to “growing-up” and maturing, because I had silenced my inner voice. I began to have panic attacks when I pictured my life 40 or 50 years in the future. I couldn’t explain to anyone how I was feeling because I was unable to understand it myself, and didn’t think others could relate to me “having everything” and being miserable. It was the loneliest period of my life. I knew I had to make changes, but I didn’t know where to start. I wasn’t prepared to hurt people around me, and I wasn’t strong enough to defend the changes I knew I needed to make. I listened to that speech repeatedly for weeks, then months, now years. At first, I didn’t know why I was captivated. Sure, it was inspirational, and it was given by one of the greatest minds of our time, but there was something else that I was connecting with. Eventually the message was clear, and the only words I would hear when he spoke were courage, trust, intuition, don’t settle, love what you do, and there is no reason not to follow your heart.
I’ve heard that “change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change,” I reached that point 5 years ago. Change began, and I slowly built up the courage to acknowledge what I wanted and to follow my intuition. I left that house and lonely bedroom, and eventually that career. I was strong enough to confidently tell people why because I let my inner voice guide me. Their questions and opinions didn’t bother me, the only thing that mattered was that I was building the life I wanted.
In the 5 years since I have found peace and happiness. I fell in love with my fiancé Sean. He supports my dreams, encourages me when I’m down, and reminds me daily to go after the life I want regardless of what others may think. I have grown professionally and built a business that I am extremely proud of. As a Realtor, I get the opportunity to help clients work towards and achieve their dreams. I devote time each day to being mindful, grateful, and listening to my intuition. I make decisions based on guidance from my inner voice, and my gut feelings mixed with some rational reasoning. I encourage those around me, probably to a fault, to do the same. I support others that I meet along the way to embrace the idea that life is too short to be wasted living someone else’s ideas of happiness. The people in my life understand that I am unapologetically going after what I want and that I am determined to be myself in every situation. It’s too painful and time is too limited to do anything but that.
Empower yourself to fearlessly pursue your dreams, develop your courage, and use it as a shield. Surround yourself with people who will encourage you along the way. Never silence your intuition.
